Workforce Localization in the Arab Gulf Countries: How Do Organizations Socialize the Members of a Powerful Minority?

This paper addresses a key social–cultural aspect of sustainability in the Gulf region: Workforce localization (WL). Our research objective is to empirically explore organizational socialization (OS) practices in the context of WL in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where National Citizens (NCs) are...

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محفوظ في:
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Waxin, Marie-France (author)
مؤلفون آخرون: Kumra, Savita (author), Zhao, Fang (author)
التنسيق: article
منشور في: 2020
الموضوعات:
الوصول للمادة أونلاين:http://hdl.handle.net/11073/19747
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author Waxin, Marie-France
author2 Kumra, Savita
Zhao, Fang
author2_role author
author
author_facet Waxin, Marie-France
Kumra, Savita
Zhao, Fang
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Waxin, Marie-France
Kumra, Savita
Zhao, Fang
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020-08-30T09:20:01Z
2020-08-30T09:20:01Z
2020-07
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv Waxin, M.-F., Kumra, S., & Zhao, F. (2020). Workforce localization in the arab gulf countries: how do organizations socialize the members of a powerful minority? Sustainability, 12(14), 5847–5847. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145847
2071-1050
http://hdl.handle.net/11073/19747
10.3390/su12145847
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en_US
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145847
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Organizational socialization
Work place integration
Practices
Localisation
Nationalisation
Diversity management
Arab
United Arab Emirates
Human resource management
Social sustainability
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Workforce Localization in the Arab Gulf Countries: How Do Organizations Socialize the Members of a Powerful Minority?
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Peer-Reviewed
Published version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
description This paper addresses a key social–cultural aspect of sustainability in the Gulf region: Workforce localization (WL). Our research objective is to empirically explore organizational socialization (OS) practices in the context of WL in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where National Citizens (NCs) are a powerful minority in the workforce. This research adopts a qualitative methodology, using semi-structured interviews with managers in charge of the WL program in 14 organizations in the UAE, across different industrial sectors and ownership. We found five major OS practices: Establishing thorough orientation programs, providing formal training programs (skills, diversity/cultural awareness, supervisor, mentoring and coaching team building), redesigning NCs' jobs and work teams, engaging expatriates in NCs' OS processes, and organizing networking events. All organizations rigorously evaluated the effectiveness of their OS practices. This study contributes to the empirical literature on management OS, WL, and diversity management in a non-western, emerging Arab country. It contributes to theory development on the content of OS practices, showing how a minority can be a powerful group around whom socialization processes are tailored to integrate them fully into the organization. Practically, our findings inform managers of how to adapt their existing OS practices to the specific needs of minority members, and support Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-based organizations and policymakers with the design, monitoring, and implementation of WL programs, and with the development of a sustainable workforce.
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identifier_str_mv Waxin, M.-F., Kumra, S., & Zhao, F. (2020). Workforce localization in the arab gulf countries: how do organizations socialize the members of a powerful minority? Sustainability, 12(14), 5847–5847. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145847
2071-1050
10.3390/su12145847
language_invalid_str_mv en_US
network_acronym_str aus
network_name_str aus
oai_identifier_str oai:repository.aus.edu:11073/19747
publishDate 2020
publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
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spelling Workforce Localization in the Arab Gulf Countries: How Do Organizations Socialize the Members of a Powerful Minority?Waxin, Marie-FranceKumra, SavitaZhao, FangOrganizational socializationWork place integrationPracticesLocalisationNationalisationDiversity managementArabUnited Arab EmiratesHuman resource managementSocial sustainabilityThis paper addresses a key social–cultural aspect of sustainability in the Gulf region: Workforce localization (WL). Our research objective is to empirically explore organizational socialization (OS) practices in the context of WL in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where National Citizens (NCs) are a powerful minority in the workforce. This research adopts a qualitative methodology, using semi-structured interviews with managers in charge of the WL program in 14 organizations in the UAE, across different industrial sectors and ownership. We found five major OS practices: Establishing thorough orientation programs, providing formal training programs (skills, diversity/cultural awareness, supervisor, mentoring and coaching team building), redesigning NCs' jobs and work teams, engaging expatriates in NCs' OS processes, and organizing networking events. All organizations rigorously evaluated the effectiveness of their OS practices. This study contributes to the empirical literature on management OS, WL, and diversity management in a non-western, emerging Arab country. It contributes to theory development on the content of OS practices, showing how a minority can be a powerful group around whom socialization processes are tailored to integrate them fully into the organization. Practically, our findings inform managers of how to adapt their existing OS practices to the specific needs of minority members, and support Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-based organizations and policymakers with the design, monitoring, and implementation of WL programs, and with the development of a sustainable workforce.MDPI2020-08-30T09:20:01Z2020-08-30T09:20:01Z2020-07Peer-ReviewedPublished versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfWaxin, M.-F., Kumra, S., & Zhao, F. (2020). Workforce localization in the arab gulf countries: how do organizations socialize the members of a powerful minority? Sustainability, 12(14), 5847–5847. https://doi.org/10.3390/su121458472071-1050http://hdl.handle.net/11073/1974710.3390/su12145847en_UShttps://doi.org/10.3390/su12145847oai:repository.aus.edu:11073/197472024-08-22T11:43:10Z
spellingShingle Workforce Localization in the Arab Gulf Countries: How Do Organizations Socialize the Members of a Powerful Minority?
Waxin, Marie-France
Organizational socialization
Work place integration
Practices
Localisation
Nationalisation
Diversity management
Arab
United Arab Emirates
Human resource management
Social sustainability
status_str publishedVersion
title Workforce Localization in the Arab Gulf Countries: How Do Organizations Socialize the Members of a Powerful Minority?
title_full Workforce Localization in the Arab Gulf Countries: How Do Organizations Socialize the Members of a Powerful Minority?
title_fullStr Workforce Localization in the Arab Gulf Countries: How Do Organizations Socialize the Members of a Powerful Minority?
title_full_unstemmed Workforce Localization in the Arab Gulf Countries: How Do Organizations Socialize the Members of a Powerful Minority?
title_short Workforce Localization in the Arab Gulf Countries: How Do Organizations Socialize the Members of a Powerful Minority?
title_sort Workforce Localization in the Arab Gulf Countries: How Do Organizations Socialize the Members of a Powerful Minority?
topic Organizational socialization
Work place integration
Practices
Localisation
Nationalisation
Diversity management
Arab
United Arab Emirates
Human resource management
Social sustainability
url http://hdl.handle.net/11073/19747